Car buyers have to wait until 2018 before they are protected from criminal behaviour. HPI, provider of the HPI Check®, reports that dealers firmly back proposals by the EU to introduce legislation to outlaw mileage correction firms by May 2018. The findings of a survey to HPI’s dealer community reported that 71% support the EU decision.

A further 92% of those surveyed went on to declare that dealers, who are actively adjusting odometers without declaring the act to buyers, should be sought out and prosecuted. The rising support by used car traders to address the issue of clocking follows industry calls to the Government to regulate the registering of mileages adjustments, as well as introducing more mandated occurrences of when mileage information should be collected and recorded.

Neil Hodson, Managing Director for HPI, explains, “It’s clear from our survey, that most dealers are eager to see stricter measures be put in place to tackle clocking, beyond outlawing mileage correction firms. Interestingly, 93% of dealers we surveyed said they have never had cause to adjust or correct a car’s mileage, confirming that fraud is driving this activity. The risks to traders and consumers alike are significant. A dealer who unwittingly buys and sells on a clocked car could face hefty fines and prosecution, not to mention damaging their reputation.”

Sue Robinson of the RMI adds, “We completely agree that there is a need for legislation to tackle the issue of mileage adjustment, better known as ‘clocking’. This issue is detrimental to reputable vehicle dealers and consumers alike. The Government needs to send a clear message that this behaviour is unacceptable and legislation must be changed to prevent clocking.”

Concludes Neil Hodson: “Currently, criminals out to make a fast profit can hide behind the label of legitimacy that mileage correction firms provide. Closing these firms down will ultimately reduce the number of clocked vehicles on the UK’s roads, but the changes in law are some way off and more needs to be done now to send a clear message to fraudsters that the net is closing in on them.”